Difference between revisions of "Draconic Taxonomy"
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Casual observers may initially perceive dragons as reptilian in nature. While it is true that both have scales and hatch from eggs, dragons differ from reptiles in at least one important respect: they are warm-blooded. In the field, the crews of harnessed dragons may seek shelter against their dragon's sides for the warmth given off. This is undoubtedly one of the characteristics that caused [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolus_Linnaeus#Systema_Naturae Carl Linnaeus] (1707-1778) to list Draconia as a separate class of vertebrates, ranking with Mammalia and Reptilia, in his ''Systema Naturae''. | Casual observers may initially perceive dragons as reptilian in nature. While it is true that both have scales and hatch from eggs, dragons differ from reptiles in at least one important respect: they are warm-blooded. In the field, the crews of harnessed dragons may seek shelter against their dragon's sides for the warmth given off. This is undoubtedly one of the characteristics that caused [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolus_Linnaeus#Systema_Naturae Carl Linnaeus] (1707-1778) to list Draconia as a separate class of vertebrates, ranking with Mammalia and Reptilia, in his ''Systema Naturae''. | ||
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| + | Later researchers in the field of evolutionary theory established by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin Charles Darwin] (1809-1882) have established that both dragons and birds are descended from dinosaurs, specifically from the primarily carnivorous [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theropoda theropods] rather than herbivorous [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauropodomorpha sauropodomorphans] or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithischia ornithischians]. | ||
Revision as of 20:17, 17 October 2008
Casual observers may initially perceive dragons as reptilian in nature. While it is true that both have scales and hatch from eggs, dragons differ from reptiles in at least one important respect: they are warm-blooded. In the field, the crews of harnessed dragons may seek shelter against their dragon's sides for the warmth given off. This is undoubtedly one of the characteristics that caused Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) to list Draconia as a separate class of vertebrates, ranking with Mammalia and Reptilia, in his Systema Naturae.
Later researchers in the field of evolutionary theory established by Charles Darwin (1809-1882) have established that both dragons and birds are descended from dinosaurs, specifically from the primarily carnivorous theropods rather than herbivorous sauropodomorphans or ornithischians.
